Chris writes...we are now back in Kosova and settling into life in our tiny village. We had a fantastic time in the UK seeing so many family and friends...thank-you ALL for making it such a special time! but at the end we were ready to come home. Life in Krushe continues much the same and it is nice to continue with the relationships with the children (though some are not so rewarding!) and other people of the village. The new school year has once again re-started and it is good to see the children coming back...tho some of course will not be coming back as they have moved up to big school over the road! We have had quite a busy few weeks getting everything ready and also preparing for the medical visits. We have just started another medical fortnight and have a doctor and a nurse staying with us for two weeks. We look after them then organise clinics and take them into the remote villages to run GP surgeries. Of course this takes a lot of organising and keeps us busy for quite a few weeks. As we start our second term here we are of course looking at our future and would appreciate your prayers in this regard. We are also trying harder with the language and know that we need to put more time and effort into this....please pray and thanks for reading and following our adventures! Zoti Bekoft...God Bless...xx

Chris writes: we have been in the UK for over a month now and in just over a week we will be heading back to a place in a tiny village in Kosova we now call home...Krushe. It might seem far away from us at the moment as we have become so engrossed back in UK culture again.......... ..friends and family around us, motorways, expensive cups of coffee, pavements everywhere, rain, aside from the regular electricity supply of course...but it is still our home and the place where we will not be going to a sports bag to find our clothes anymore. We have had a fantastic time in the UK and been so blessed, loved and well looked after by our friends and family but now we must return home. We have travelled over 2000 miles (over 3200 kms to our friends in Kosova!) travelling most of the length and breadth of the country in a blessing of a car. But before all that we have our last visit.....to the Dorset area to see friends, our flat in Christchurch and preach at our church on Sunday before return here next week in preparation for Kosova. We have so many mixed feelings but are really looking forward to going home again. Thanks for reading and for your support and prayers for us during our time in UK.

Lorraine writes- well, one week on and have to say I am loving being back in the UK. I have done so much in such a short time and have had a great time with my brother and family but, its time for us to move on and Wales is our next venue. We have drunk lots of huge mugs of coffee and tea, eaten great food, done lots of walking, experienced British rain and wonderful scenery and even used a laundrette for the very first time in my life!!!!!! Even though I am enjoying our break, Krushe isn't too far from my mind and heart. I had an opportunity to share at Rosehill Baptist Church Girls Brigade about our work at the day care but also about the first GB group in Kosova which was formed in January this year. Some things have changed since we've been away, yet other things remain the same. I'm finding that as I go around from place to place that I am comparing many things between Kosova and Britain. As our time here continues we will be praying about what we're experienced so far and what God may have in store for us!!

Chris writes: we are now back in the UK for six weeks having returned on Friday. We have been living in Krushe for eight months....this will be our first time away. When we returned we expected a culture shock....but it does not seem to have affected us yet. It almost seems that we have just settled back into life in UK so easily...too easily maybe. While missing our friends back in Kosova we are excited to be seeing our friends and family in UK. We have been blessed with the use of a car on loan from my parents and have travelled to Lorraine's brother and his family in the north of England. Next we visit friends and family in Wales, then Reading, Worthing, Kent and Bournemouth......hopefully we are not doing too much travelling and will get opportunity to rest and relax as well! We also hope this time will also give us an opportunity to reflect and pray about our first period in Krushe and look to our next period. Naturally we want to stay in God's will and will be seeking Him for our future there. Thanks for your prayers....we need them more than ever now! Thanks for reading. Zoti Bekoft x

Lorraine writes- This picture was taken by me when we were visiting the sight of the Krushe's mass killing just two weeks ago. All that remains of the barn where we believe 116 men where killed at the sight, are two craters. These craters where made by the Serbs, who bombed it, to hide the killings and make it look like NATO had done it. It was an emotional time, as we had never been that close to where the killings took place. Looking over some pictures I had taken of that day, I came across this one. WOW, it gave me goose bumps and does every time I look at it. The light of the sun is shining over one of the craters. For me, this image shouts out, how God is shining over Krushe, and its people. The people and children of this village are shown love, on a daily basis, through the day care and all those who are involved through its ministry. The village has gone through the worst kind of human experience, but it warms me to think that God's hand is over them. It reminds me also, of how God has his hand over us. That is so important to us and gives us the energy, drive and passion to do what we do.

Chris writes: We have now been in Krushe for over seven months. Family and friends in the UK seem so far away. The places we know seem a distant memory. We are now less than a month away from stepping out of the plane back on UK soil. This fills us with excitement and also trepidation. We have changed and people in the UK will have changed - how will we react to them and how will they to us? We are both ready for a break and an opportunity to take a step back. Are we still in the place God where wants us? Maybe for me this has been more of a question which hit me recently than for Lorraine - with her background in childcare seeing the facility developed is something she is very much enjoying embracing. There is so much we could be doing in Kosova...but coming here has very much been about things being 'stripped away'...the people and things which mean so much to us we have learnt to look forward to when we visit the UK, but now I guess it is more about the character qualities; the unseen aspects of our nature or dependancies, though good in themselves, which we can cling to rather than to God. Moses had to spend many years as a shepherd in the desert before he was ready for the job of leading the people out of Egypt!
We have now passed through the especially busy period. Several people have come and left us and new friendships formed, we are now settling back into a somewhat normal routine. Last weekend we even had the chance to get away. The busyness and heat of summer continues - with watering the grass in the evening, cutting it during the day and dealing with mole hills caused by the damp ground - it is almost a never ending circle!
Inevitably with all the busyness something has been dropped and sadly this has been our learning of the language. This has probably been our biggest challenge over the last seven months and having a good reason not to do it has not been hard to justify. After a good lesson yesterday (Praise God!) we were reminded just how much we do know however..thanks Korab!
Whilst in the UK (10th July until 24th August) in addition to a period of relaxation we hope to visit and see as many people as possible and are currently making preperations for that. The dates are in our newsletter - which hopefully you have seen - maybe we could meet up if we are close by you.....Please let us know.
Thanks for reading and do share any thoughts you have - Zoti Bekoft x

Chris writes - well we have lived to fight another day! It has been a long and tiring week but we have survived it. Last night our power (and sanity) was restored! All week there have been rumours and speculation - finally it happened! We saw the workmen at the sub-station in the village as we were leaving a family we were visiting and asked them - to our delight they said "Po" (Yes)! They left the village and nothing happened. Then about an hour or so later we heard some shouts from over the road - somebody had flicked the switch at the power station and the village was 'on' again! It is so good to be able to put things in the fridge again and not in the cool box or the bucket of cold water. We have got used to the odd hour or two...or even five hours on a bad day...but a whole week.....!! You suddenly realise just what you take for granted when you don't have it...we just have so much to be thankful for! Today we saw workmen measuring up our road with a view to laying down tarmac - wow this is just too much!! Thanks for reading and Zoti Bekoft x